Introduction

This blog contains regular postings relating to the Traditional Latin Liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church. It includes regular commentary on the saints days and the liturgical cycle, with brief background and extracts from the liturgy both in Latin and English. Much of the material has been extracted from the 'St Andrew's Daily Missal', Dom Gueranger's 'Liturgical Year', or similar sources.

Saturday, 28 February 2015

The Station for the Saturday of Ember Week is always at the great basilica erected by Constantine and rebuilt by the Popes in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries on the hill of the Vatican on the spot where St. Peter died on the cross and where his body rests. Besides the Gospel is about the Transfiguration of which St. Peter was the chief witness.

It was in this basilica that ordinations took place, preceded, during the night, by twelve lessons of which we have a trace in those occurring in the Mass for to-day. The Introit verse alludes to this nocturnal vigil: "I have cried in the day and in the night before Thee."

Like the Apostles selected to be present on Mount Thabor, at the manifestation of the divine life of Jesus (Gospel), the new Priests will ascend the steps of the altar to enter into communication with God. It is they who in His name will exhort us to prayer, to patience and to charity. If we abstain during Lent from even the appearance of evil, our souls and our bodies will be preserved unstained for the day of the eternal Pasch, when Christ (Epistle) will allow us to participate in the glory of His Transfiguration for all eternity.

Let us pray to God to fortify us with His blessing so that, during this Lent, we may never depart from His holy will (Prayer over the People).

Friday, 27 February 2015

On the Friday in Ember Week the Station was always made in the Church of the Twelve Apostles, situated at the foot of the Quirinal, for the examination of candidates for ordination. Thus were the future priests and deacons put under the protection of the whole Apostolic College. This basilica, one of the oldest in Rome, was built shortly after the time of Constantine by Julius I., on the occasion of the translation of the bodies of the Apostles Philip and James the Less, which rested there. John III made of it a votive monument for the freeing of Rome from the Goths of Totila.

Addressing henelf to the public penitents in the first centuries of Christianity, the Church told them by the mouth of Ezechiel that God was ready to forgive them because they repented (Epistle). Like the sick who assembled in the porches of the pond situated on the north of the Temple in Jerusalem they waited at the doors of the church, and on the great day of the Sabbath, which is the Feast of Easter, Jesus cured them, as He healed the paralytic spoken of in the Gospel.

Our souls, washed in the waters of baptism, but since fallen back into sin, must atone for their faults, and Jesus, through the instrumentality of His priests, will pardon them in the holy tribunal of Penance.

The excuse, "I have no man," will not avail us, for if we remain stricken with the palsy of sin, it is because we do not have recourse to the ministry of priesthood, which is always at our disposal.

Let us pray to Almighty God to "receive us with his kind assistance" (Collect), that our vices being "cleansed away" by penance (Postcommunion), our souls may once more be shown "the light of His grace" (Prayer over the people).

Thursday, 26 February 2015

The Station at Rome was established by Gregory II. in the old church of St. Laurence in Panispema, erected to the glory of the heroic deacon on the very spot where he suffered martyrdom.

The Church reminds the catechumens that since the coming of Jesus it is no longer the race of Israel alone that has the promise, but. that all can enter the Church by baptism and partake of the Euchanstic bread of the children of God. If the heathen will solemnly deny the evil deeds of his fathers and practise the Christian law of penance and charity (Epistle), his prayer will be granted as was that of the woman who belonged to the accursed race of Canaan, but whose faith was great (Gospel).

Let us seek in the Eucharist the strength required to observe Lent for it is our fasting, in conjunction with the sacrifice of Jesus, that will obtain for us salvation (Secret, Communion, Postcommunion).

Confessio et pulchritudo in conspectu ejus: sanctitas et magnificentia in sanctificatione ejus. * Cantate Domino canticum novum: cantate Domino, omnis terra.
Praise and beauty are before Him: holiness and majesty in His sanctuary. * Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle: sing to the Lord, all the earth.
(Psalm 95:6 from the Introit of Mass)

Devotionem populi tui, quaesumus, Domine, benignus intende: ut, qui per abstinentiam macerantur in corpore, per fructum boni operis reficiantur in mente.
Mercifully look down, we beseech Thee, O Lord, upon the devotion of Thy people, that they who are mortified in the flesh by abstinence, may be refreshed in mind by the fruit of good works.
(Collect)

Wednesday, 25 February 2015

The spring Ember Week coincides with the first week of Lent. It was instituted for the purpose of consecrating to God the new season, and by fasting and prayer to draw down heavenly graces on those who on Saturday are to receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

The Station on the Wednesday in Ember Week was always held at St. Mary Major, the greatest and most illustrious of the Roman churches consecrated to the Blessed Virgin.

Is it not fitting that on this very day when the scrutinies for Ordination used to be made, the liturgical gathering should be made in the basilica consecrated to her, whom Proclus of Constantinople hails as "the temple in which God became priest"?

The Gospel also alludes to our Lady. The two lessons, the second of which is read as Epistle, tell of Moses and Elias, who before seeing the glory of the Lord fasted forty days and forty nights. Called to take the place of the rebellious Jews, let us make ourselves worthy of the fruits of penance as did the men of Ninive, who listened to the voice of Jonas, and the Queen of Saba, who came from her distant country to learn the wisdom of Solomon (Gospel). We shall participate then in the resurrection of the Saviour, symbolised by the Prophet who, after remaining three days in the whale's belly, was vomited out alive.

Let us pray to God that we may be strengthened in mind by the fruit of good works, while we mortify our bodies by abstinence (Collect).

Mercifully hear our prayers, we beseech Thee, O Lord: and stretch forth the right hand of Thy majesty against all our adversaries.

Devotionem populi tui, quaesumus, Domine, benignus intende: ut, qui per abstinentiam macerantur in corpore, per fructum boni operis reficiantur in mente.
Graciously look down, O Lord, we beseech Thee, upon the devotion of Thy people, that they who are mortified in body by abstinence, may be refreshed in mind through the fruit of good works.
(Collect)

Tuesday, 24 February 2015

The Station is at the old church which, in the fourth century, was the only parish in the centre of Rome and in its wealthy quarter. Built at the foot of the Palatine, this church which owes its name to the Chapel of the Resurrection (Anastasis) at Jerusalem, was also consecrated to Saint Anastasia, put to death under Diocletian at Sirmium in Illyria (now Mitrowitz in Serbia). Tradition seems to say that this "title" mentioned in a synod in 499 recalls the house of this holy Martyr in Rome. It is more than likely, however, that it concerns but a simply identity of name between the Roman foundress of this basilica and the titular saint.

Lent is the time when "God is near to us and eager to forgive us if we put aside our evil thoughts and forsake the way of sin" (Epistle). To do so we must cast sin out from our hearts, as Jesus cast out the sellers from the Temple (Gospel), and receive the teaching of Christ with the simplicity of children of God. Then He will be able to cure our souls as He healed the lame and the blind who came nigh unto Him.

Casting out the vainglorious wisdom of the world, let us profit by the holy Season of Lent, so that, "chastening our bodies by mortification, our souls may be filled with holy desires" (Collect).

Lord, Thou hast been our refuge from generation to generation: from eternity and to eternity Thou art. * Before the mountains were made, or the earth and the world was formed; from eternity Thou art God.

Monday, 23 February 2015

This tract is often on the Church's lips during Lent. As the music to which it is sung shows, it is a suppliant appeal of man in his distress addressed to almighty God. It is said or sung before the Gospel at Mass, from this day on the Monday, Wednesday and Friday of each week till the Monday in Holy Week, with the exception of the Wednesday in Ember Week.

The Station is in one of the most ancient Roman basilicas built by the Empress Eudocia, where the chains worn by the prince of the Apostles, to whom Jesus confided His flock, are kept. In the fifth century it was one of the twenty-five parishes of Rome.

The Epistle, alluding to the penitents about to be reconciled at Easter and to the catechumens preparing for baptism, says that the Lord is the Shepherd who comes to seek His lost sheep. And the Gospel tells of the separation that this Shepherd will make for ever between the sheep and the goats, or between the good who repent and give themselves up to works of charity and the sinners.

Let us ask God to prepare us by "this Lenten fast" (Collect) to be loosened from the bonds of our sins" (Prayer over the people) by virtue of the power of Peter, who was delivered from his chains.

Sicut oculi servorum in manibus dominorum suorum: ita oculi nostri ad Dominum Deum nostrum, donec misereatur nobis: miserere nobis, Domine; miserere nobis. * Ad te levavi oculos meos: qui habitas in coelis.
As the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters: so are our eyes unto the Lord our God, until He have mercy on us: have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us. * To thee have I lifted up my eyes: who dwellest in heaven.
(Psalm 122:2 from the Introit of Mass)